Love the atmosphere of this place. Delicious food, knowledgeable staff, great selection of sours. Also, the only place in Philly I've found that has Russian River brews on tap. Just moved to the philly area, will be visiting again.

My boyfriend and I went here with great expectations after all we've heard/read for years. However, when we asked the waitress to bring a few samples of various beers, she looked down her nose at us and said "We don't do free samples". When we asked if there was a flight option to purchase, she said there was none, and snootily recommended we make "an informed choice" about what pint to order! We left. I have been going to beer pubs and breweries about 5 years now, and they always give you a free taste, and most are happy to do it! This was the height of snobbery; boy, they have really let their great reputation go to their heads! What a turnoff. Really too bad. I know everyone else here loves this place, but we won't be going back, that's for sure.

I'd go here daily if I had the budget. Great vibe, really cool bartender, amazing selection (belgian rarities, russian river etc). Everyone says the food is good, but I just had beer. Like I said, I don't really like spending $9+ for a pint, but it's the right price for what they're selling and right in downtown.

What a pleasure it was to visit this place. Dark but colorful, cozy, inviting; European/Belgian decor.
Friendly service, decent Belgian food and very good beer selection. I'm happy to report that you can find Russian River brews at this establishment; a rarity for the East Coast. I had a Pliny the Elder and a Blind Pig! I will definitely go back!

Two words come to mind: "as advertised"
We got there about 4:30pm on a Saturday and luckily got a table for 2 immediately. I started off with the RR Blind Pig, then the Monk's Flemish Sour and wrapped up with the Tired Hands saison. The Brussels burger & fries were above average and our waiter was outstanding. We've never had faster and more attentive service anywhere. The experience that we had at Monk's reaches far beyond the "check the box" mentality that so many folks have when they visit this place. We will certainly be back again.

AMAZING BEER SELECTION!! When I was there this weekend they had Hill Farmstead, Russian River, Lost Abbey(amongst many others) on tap. This is a great place to enjoy a great beer with others that like a wide selection of beer choices and rotating schedule of what is on tap.

To say that Monks is world-class is an understatement. They have an untouchable bottle list of mostly belgian beer. They also have consistent access to Russian River and others. There is a brewery in Belgium that makes a beer just for them which you can find on shelves in several cities. The atmosphere is beer focused, with no TVs, and the food is excellent. It is worth traveling to Philly just for this bar.

Was there for craft brewers conference. It was way too crowded. I feel like there could've been either another bartender in the front (albeit small bar) or maybe a door guy with a limit on the number of patrons. May not the best tim to visit and rate on a normal night. But this is a huge event that could've been prepared for a little better. The menu had a few solid and really interesting beers on tap. Would like to try on a normal day and also the food.

This place has a great vibe, provided it isn't ruined by being literally packed full of humanity. It is decorated nicely in what I would describe as "Belgian Pub" style, but it is kind of tiny. There is a second bar and some more seating way in the back, past the bathrooms which may be less crowded if the front is packed, but it is a small place and it seems like it may just get too busy to really enjoy at peak hours. When we were there it was too full and service was all but non existent, which wasn't really their fault, though they really could have had another couple of bar tenders on duty. The draft selection wasn't huge and some of it was pretty meh, but there were a couple of real stunners on there to make up for the "I can get that anywhere" kind of stuff. Didn't eat but it seems like it would be worth going back to try that aspect. Really not my best philly beer experience, but I'd like to give it a try again some time when its a little less crowded.

Wowzers. Taplist was impressive, the bottle list even more so. The duck salad sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. Service was slow, but with the craft brewers conference in town, we fully expected that. And we were in no hurry. Incredible. I'll never go back to Philly without making a stop here.

I am lucky to have been to fantastic beer bars all over the country. No matter how great the beer selection, food, or ambience, all other beer bars fall short of the mystic of Monk's. When you enter Monk's you are transported to another place and time and it is easy to spend the entire day, leisurely eating, drinking, and conversing with friends and new acquaintances. The beer, the food, the service, and the atmosphere simply can not be beat.